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JOHN BUlt'l, `OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

- Leiters .Patent 1Y0. 65,054, dated llfny/ 28, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANAL LOCKS.

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TO WHOM I'l MAY CONGERN Be it known that I, JOHN Buur, of Detroit, iu the county of Wayne, and State oi`.Michigan, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Canal Locks; and I hcrcbydeelare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. v A My invention has reference to the method of and means employed for raising or lowering the level of water in canal locks or chambers for effecting the transfer' of boats from one level to another of the canal. The ordinary method of accomplishing this is by iueans of sl-uices, sometimes -formed in the sides of thc lock, but oftencr in the water-gates which close the ends of the lock-chamber, by the opening and closing of which sluices water is introduced into the chamber at one end from the upperl level of the canal, or drawn 01T and discharged from the chamber at the other end into the lower level. This'arrangemen't, however, is defective inimportant respects. For instance, suppose that the upper sluices are opened in order to till the chamber, the water from the upper level being under pressure of 'course enters the lool; with considerable force, and is driven against the lower gates; meeting resistance there, it flows back towards the other end of the chamber to again moet the strong current entering through the open sluices, and so the water in the chamber surges backward and forward, tlic violence' of thc motion being greater or less in proportion to the size of the sluiees and the volume of water under pressure. This vmotion will of course affect the boat or vessel in the lool; at the time, and in order to prevent it from being driven by the ilux and reflux of the water against the gates or the sides of the chamber, it must be tied up to piles or posts placed on top of the lock. The same defects are apparent when the water is drawn oit, the water within the lock-chamber being agitated to such an extent that the boat, as before, must be tied up or secured to the sides of the lock. Under this arrangement the only means of checking the surging of the water is to decrease the size of the sluices, but by doing this the operation of raising or lowering the boatv will -necessarily consume more time and give rise to; considerable delay.

New, the principal object of my invention is to so introduce the water into the lockV as to prevent it from having any undue motion, but at the saine time to allow of any desired quantity being admitted at once; or, in other words, to fill or empty the lock with greater expedition than is done by the old plan, and at the same time to keep the water suiliciently free from motion to obviate -the necessity of tying up the boat or vessels in thelocklchamber. To this end my invention consists in introducing and discharging the water into and -from thelock through the bottom or floor of thc.chamber in such manner that the water shall enter or leave the chamber simultaneously throughout the whole area oi` the floor oi theloek. To do this, I employ, preferably, a series of tubes opening at one end into the upper level of the canal, and thence extending downward into the floor or bottom of the lock, over which they pass, and then open into the lower level of the canal; These tubes or conduits are provided at each end with valves for regulating the low of the water, which valves are connected or coupled together, so that all the tubes may beopened or closed at either end simultaneously, and the portions of the pipes which pass over-.the bottomvof thc lock-chamber have formed in them at intervals holes or apertures through which the water is discharged into or drawn oi` from the lock. -Byethis method the bottom of the loekehamber in eiect constitutes a diaphragm through which the water passes in a diffused state quietly and without surging. No matter how great the size of the tubes, the distribution over the bottom of the lock of'the apertures through which the water passes will check and eifcctually prevent any violent movement of the water.

My invention further consists 4in an improved construction and arrangement of the valves for opening and closingthc mouths of the tubes, and also in so constructing the water-gates as to endue them with a certain springincss or elasticity and strength, in order that when pressed against by the superior column of water in the upper level 0f the canal, or in the lock itself, the gates may be pressed firmly and tightly into the ways' in which they slide, and thus prevent the escape of the water.

'Io enable others to fully understand my improvements, I will now'proceed to describe the manner in which the saine are or may be carried into eifeot by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure I represents the general features of my system.

U is the upper level of the canal, and L lthe lower level. The upper watergate A of the lock is a sliding gate of ordinary construction. The tubes or conduits a which lead Vthe water from the upper level into the lock-chamber open into the upper level, and extend side by side under the gate A down to the bottom I) of the lock. There they turn or are bent so as to pass over and along the bottom b until they leave the lock and extend out into thc lower level, as shown at a. The portions of tubes a which extend Valong the floor of the loclchave apertures orpcrforations formed yin them at intervals, as shown at c @Figure 5, for the purposes above mentioned. The upper mouths of the tubes are fitted with ordinary 'valvcs, shown at B, Figure 3, coupled or linked together by means of a rod, C, to 'which the cranks for moving the valvesv are secured. As the lower valves of the'conduits a are subjected at times to heavy pressure, especially if theFlift of the lock, or the difference between' the levels be considerabl'QI construct them as shown in Figure 2. The valve d is tubular, and open at its outer end. It has a conical form, so as to tit tightly in its seat d', which likewise has a tubular shape, and is inserted in the end of the conduit a. Two apertures, e, diametrically opposite each other, are vformed in the valve-seat, and like apertures, e', are made in the valve, so that when, by the rotation, the openings c e are brought togethrr the water in the conduit will flow fully through the apertures out from the open end of thevalve.' A'.lhc object of making the two apertures c e in opposite sides of the valve-seat is to equilibrate Ythe pressure of the water upon the valve when the latter is closed, so as to avoid all friction or hindrance in working the valves. This friction, which is comparatively unimportant in operating a single valve, becomesvery'fnoticeable when a series of valves is coupled together, as shown in Figure 4, and the arrangemeutdcvised by me is'intcndcd to-obviate this diiliculty by making the pressure of the water the same on both sides of the valve. Instead of arranging the tubes as shown Ain the drawing, the upper conduits need only extend down as fai as the bottom of the lock, which may be fitted with a false bottom, lc, perforated at c, so as to form a diaphragm, as shown in Figure 6,-which, in many instances, can bc used with as good effect as the perforated tubes. In this case the water should be drawn oil' by tubes arranged in the lower end o' the lock, to which the valves shownv in fig. 2 can be fitted, as explained. lIn connection with the lock I use a gate, constructed and arranged substantially as shown at D in fig. 1, where it is applied to the lower end ofthe lock. This gate by virtue of' its construction is cndued with great strength and a certain degree of elasticity which enables it, when pressed against by the body of water within the lock,

rto expand or widen, so as to keep its sides firmly against the ways in which itslidcs, and thus prevent the escape of any water. In order to impart to the gate this elastic property, I construct it of steel, or steel platesrivetcd together, and give it a curved shape laterally, the curvo being towards the interior of the lock, or in the direction from which the pressure comes. The gate is arranged to slide vertically in upright quoins or guides E, and has attached to it chains or wire cables passing over the top of the frame E, from which are suspended compensating weights 21, 'which so nearly equilibrate the weight of the gate that when there is no pressure upon the latter, the operator, to raise the gate, has only the friction to overcome. This gate may be used, of course, at either or both ends of the lock, though I have shown it only at that end where the gate is subjected to the greatest pressure. By constructing the gate of metal, as described, and giving it a curvedform, I am enabled to make itrot` great strength, especially as it is solid, and has none of the sluices or wickets by which the strength of ordinary gates is impaired. In locks where it is desirable to obtain all the room possible, the gates may he turned so that the curve shall bc outwards from the chamber, and in this case they will be held tightly against the guides or quoins by pressure of the water against their concave sides.

'The lock is operated as follows: Suppose the water in the lock is to be raised from the lower to the higher level of the canal.` The gate D is first shut, and then the lower valves d being closed, the valves B are opened. The water enters thc conduits a, passes down through them to the bottom of the lock, and then enters the chamber through the aperture c. The great-volume of water which is drawn in through the valves B by this means is caused to enter the chamber in a diffused state, being at once spread over the whole extent of the chamber, and thus prevented from surging, or moving the boat or vessel contained in the lock. As soon as the water in the lock has attained the level of the upper pound or portion of the canal, the gate A is opened and the canal-boat is towed out. When the lock is thus lled, the superior column of water then presses against the lower gate D with a force proportionate to the height ofthe lii`t,'or thediifercnce between the two levels, and causes the gate to expand laterally, its sides being forced tightly and rmly against the ways E in which it slides, and, by this means, the greater Athc'pressure of the water against the gate the tighter it is pressed in its seat, thus eiectually preventing the water from escaping. When the water in the lock is to bepbrought down to the lower level, the valves B are closed andthe valves ol opened. The water is now drawn oli` simultaneously fromall points ofthe oor or bottom of the chamber, and consequently leaves the lock quietly and without disturbance. As soon as the water in the lock has reached the lower level, the gate D may be raised with perfect ease, for the water now presses against both of its sides with equal force, leaving nothing .but the friction to overcome, as above'explained.

Having described my invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into eiiect, what I claim,.and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. Discharging the water into and from the lock-chamber of a canal in a diffused or divided state by means of a diaphragm or apertures formed in the bottom of the said chamber, substantially as shown and describedr 2. Diseharging the water into and from a canal-lock, thesame consisting of tubes or conduits communieating with the higher and lower levels of the canal, and extending along the bottom of the lock-chamber, and perforated so as to allow the water to enter or be drawn off from the said chamber at several points simultaneously and in a diii'used state, substantially as shown and set forth.

i 3. The combination with the said tubes or conduits ot' the valves for regulating the low of the water, the said valves at each end of the tubes boing coupled or united vtogether so as to be operated simultaneously, substantially as shown and sctforth. y v

4. The combinaton,with a tubular valve-scat in which apertures are formed diamctrcally opposite each other, of a tubular valve provided with corresponding apertures', the said valve and valvo-seat being arranged for operation, relatively to the water-tube or conduit, substantially as shown and specified.

r 5. The Watergate herein described, the seme being made of steel o1' other suitableela-stic materiel, and having n. curved shape, es specified, so that when under pressure the sides of the-said gate 'shall be held'f'rmly and tightly against the quoins or guides in which it slides, as shown and set forth.

G. The combination, with the elastic water-gate, siidingvertioally in quoins or guides., ofthe compensating weight for equilibrating the said gate, substantiailyes shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nem-e to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

. JOHN BURT. p Witnesses:

M. BAILEY, `JOHN S. HQLLINGSHEAD. 

